V-belt clutch for power transmission



New. 2'7, 1951 A. G. HUPP v BELT CLUTCH FOR POWER TRANSMISSION 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 6, 1948 GM MHH i INVEN TOR. .-"-7 9 All. Q Q M Nam. 27, 1951 A. G. HUPP V BE ILT CLUTCH FOR POWER TRANSMISSION 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 6, 1948 Nov. 27, 1951 HUPP 2,575,605

' V BELT CLUTCH FOR POWER TRANSMISSION Filed July 6, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 [.llll I- IIIII 7 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Nov. 27, 1951 .TRANSMIS SION Arleigh .G. Hupp, .South .Milwaukee, Wis., .as

signorito The Midland 00., South Milwaukee, Wis acorporation of Wisconsin Application July'6, 1948, Serial No. 37,281

.7 Claims. (01. ire-242.11)

This invention relates to a V-belt-clu'tch ior power transmission, :and more particularly to theconstruction of a -contro'1 spring i or the belt to provide an improved clutching action therefor.

Thednvention has found particular adaptation to small garden tractors, power iawn mowers and the like where small :hor'se-powerinternal combustion engines are usually employed.

One of the principalobjects of the invention is -:to provide a smoother clutch action, therebyreducing the tendency of stalling the engine :when startingunder load.

Another'object of the invention is to reduce .gr'abbing of the v-belt .in the drive sheave dur- Iing clutching, thereby greatly reducing the strain on :the engine, and transmissiongearing.

Another object is to control the position of the belt relative to :the :drive sheave 'at all times and 'thereby-efiect a :gradual power pick-up from :the sheave to the belt during clutching and a" similar actionin reverse order duringclutch release.

Another object is to provide a clutch control :for a V-belt drive whicheanbe used with multiple width sheaves and different sizes of driven sheaves providing for different driving ratios without adjustment of the control mechanism. .Anotherobject is to provide a clutch control .that can be used with multiple V-belt drives.

Another object is to provide :a V-belt clutch control spring whichautoma'tically maintains its correct operating position at .all times.

Another object is 'to provide a V-belt clutch controls-pring which does not interfere with the .assembling of the belt :upon rthesheaves or with .the removal of thebelt or its adjustment to difw @ferent speed sheaves.

An embodiment of theinventionlis illustrated in eaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a small twoawheel garden tractor showing :the clutch drive; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the clutch .drive showing the clutch released;

' another type of engine.

The invention is illustrated as applied to a drive for a small garden tractor which frequently has to 'be started under full load with tor application identified above. length of rod i3 .is adjustable to compensate for shifting of the belt '9 to difierent diameter secan engine of relatively small capacity. :The tractor illustrated-is more particularly desc'ribed in -a copending application Serial No. 112,252

filed by -the presentinventor :on or about August The tractor comprises, in general, :a frame! carried by a transverse axle 2 and ia pair of a drive wheels '3 secured :to .the opposite ends .-of

the axle.

The frame -l *has a forwardly extendingplatform t for' carrying a small veng'inel=5. Thefr-ame also :has a vrearwardly .and upwardly extending handle bar m which f'acilitates guiding .-'of the tractor by the-operator.

.A gear transmission :1 :extends upwardly from axle :2 to a horizontal drive shaft 8 extending transversely ofitheeframgl.

The drive shaft an driven from the :engine 5 .by means of a v-ibelt .9, ..a drive sheave .10 on the engine shaft II and a driven sheave d2 son the drive shaftiB.

The sheaves Ill and I2 are .preferably of the multiple sheave type, each having :a plurality of belt groovestherein, and the "several sheave sections of the drivenisheave t2beingzof differ- .ent diameter to .providefor difierent .power'and speed ratios by the shifting of the belt i9 from one section to another..

The transmission :1 is disposed .to pivot on the axle 2 relative to frame :I to move shaft Band sheave ,l2 either toward or :away :from the :engine .5 and drive sheave Hi and thereby tighten or ,loosen'belt 9,. EIhe .pivotal movement of transmission I is effected byacontrol rod I-3 carried by the handle bar 6 and operated by a lever at the upper end of the handle bar, as completely described in the copending gardenjtrac- The effective tions of sheave l2. 1

When belt 9 is loosenedbymovement of. sheave l2 toward sheave 1 0 by means .of .lever 1-.4 and control rod 13, the belt rests lightly upon the drive sheave H3 and is pulled forwardly by'continned rotation of sheave 2m in a counter-clockwise direction as shown by the --arro ws in the drawing. I

A guide 45 is preferably provided, secured to the engine and extending across sheave it in forwardly spaced relation thereto to engage the belt as the same loosens and moves forwardly there'against to thereby frictionally retain the belt against longitudinal displacement from the sheave groovein which itis-placed.

The operation of a V-belt drive as a clutch usually results in a grabbing of the sheave by the belt as the latter tightens upon the sheave. This efiects a very quick start for the drive and is objectionable where the start is under load and the engine is reasonably small and unable to absorb the shock load of the start. Any attempt to tighten the belt slowly is apt to result in a series of successive grabs and releases which either throws the belt or stops the engine entirely.

The present invention is based upon the discovery that a cushioned clutch action can be obtained with a V-belt so that the tractor can be started under substantial load without unduly speeding the engine or causing the difficulties described above.

In carrying out the invention the belt 9 is supported relative to the drive sheave It] so that the belt does not sag, completely away from the sheave at the bottom and the belt is supportedat the bottom in such a manner as to prevent initial grabbing of the belt by the sheave at the top. The stiffness of the belt 9 relative to its curvature about the sheave I0, when loose, should be suflicient to support the belt loosely above the sheave when the belt is supported against undue sagging at the bottom of the sheave.

The means employed to support the belt in relation to the sheave may take various forms. It should be correlated to the sheave and the belt and disposed to hold the belt preferably under a slight tension when driving.

For this purpose the present invention employs a freely floating spring I6 which is carried by the engine or any other suitable support and which engages the top of the belt above the sheave I0 and the bottom of the belt below the sheave.

The spring I6 can take various forms, and two difierent forms are shown in Figs. 6 and '7. Each form of the spring I6 provides two separate belt which sheave section the belt is aligned.

The upper guide section I8 consists of a shoe secured to the ends of the wire forming the spring, and extends horizontally for the full width of the three drive sheave sections so that; it will rest on top of the belt regardless with which sheave section the belt is aligned.

The-guide sections I1 and I8 may be formed of the wire of spring I6, or either of them or both may be constructed of a shoe or roller. mounted on the wire, depending upon the frictional characteristics desired.

The guide sections I1 and I8 should be disposed nearto the drive sheave Ill, and depending upon the stiffness of the belt, the strength of the spring and the spacing of the guide sections, they are preferably disposed a distance from the vertical central plane of the drive sheave equal to and ranging from about one radius for the sheave to about two radii for the sheave. The.

actual distance may vary over a much wider range under special circumstances but it has been found that the range stated is preferable for most conditions.

The spring I6 between guide sections I1 and I8 is curved to provide a working resilience for varying the spacingof the guide. sections and should be under a reasonable stresswhen the guide sections are moved apart as when the belt is tight and under full operating load. When the belt is loosened the spring returns the guide sections to normal position.

The intermediate spring portions may be coiled around a supporting pivot pin I9 as at 26 to support the spring I6 relative to the sheave.

The pivot pin I9 in the embodiments illustrated is made up of a metal tube through which a bolt extends axially, and the bolt is threaded into the engine block so that the tube is confined tightly between the engine block and the head of the bolt.

The spring I6 is mounted to freely pivot on pin I9 and the pin I9 is disposed horizontally and spaced from the guide sections I1 and I8 sufficiently to provide for vertical floating of the guide sections during functioning of the spring in controlling the belt.

In the embodiment of Fig. 6 the pin I9 is disposed generally to the rear and above upper guide section I8. In the embodiment of Fig. 7 the pin I9 is disposed forwardly of the section I8 and of the sheave III, substantially in line with the upper flight of belt 9. The exact location for pin I9 will be determined largely by the convenience of attachment to the engine block, within the limits of the requirement for the floating of the guide sections I! and I8.

Positioning of the guide sections I? and. I8 suinciently to the rear of drive sheave I0 facilitates threading of the belt between the guide sections in applying the belt to the sheaves and removing the belt from the sheaves. During the applying of the belt the spring I6 automatically assumes its proper position with guide sections I'I'and I8 engaging the corresponding belt flights, without requiring separate manual adjustment of the guide sections. Furthermore, the sections I1 and I8 are always retained in working position and never become displaced therefrom solong as the belt 9 is in place on sheaves I0 and I2.

During operation the spring I6 functions to keep the belt loose at the top of the sheave II! until the belt has tightened uponthe sheave to a position where the end of the belt passing around the sheave assumes a curvature which effects a nearly uniform engaging movement of the belt in the groove of the sheave for' a substantial part. of the circumference of the latter.

As the belt starts to engage with the sheave In its gradual pull onthe sheave I2 tends to tighten the belt in the groove of sheave ID at the top, but in so doing the upper guide section I8 is raised tending to raise lower guide section I! which then tends to loosen the belt at the top of the sheave I0 and to tightenthe belt at the bottom, with the result that the belt tends to tighten equally at the top and bottom. This fact provides a true slip clutch effect so that the belt takeshold gradually.

Expressing the action in other words, thespring has the effect of increasing the area of initial engagement between the belt and sheave and to provide more uniform engagement pressure over the area of engagement so that the belt does not tighten in the groove at one location. In

this way grabbing is largely prevented and a slip clutch action is attained.

When the belt has accelerated to the speed of the drive sheave the guide sections I1 and it are somewhat spread apart thereby exerting a spring tightening tension upon the belt to prevent belt slippage and more eflectively transmitting the power of the engine to the wheels of the tractor.

The invention has application to any \'-belt drive in which it is desired to employ the belt as a clutch member for starting and stopping the drive. The slip clutch effect obtained by the invention makes it possible to start under heavy load without severe jerking and Without racing the engine.

In the illustration, the upper and lower flights of the belt are disposed substantially horizontal; The invention is applicable to belts having flights disposed at any angle where the belt has a tendency to grab the drive sheave during clutchmg.

The invention may have various embodiments within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a V-belt disposed to clutch a drive sheave for power transmission and wherein the belt is loose on the sheave when declutched therefrom, a pair of guides for the belt to control the clutching action of the belt when the belt is tightened upon the sheave, each guide being disposed to engage the outer surface of a flight of the belt adjacent the sheave, and a single support for said guides disposed to provide freedom of floating action therefor under the influence of said belt and to maintain said guides in spaced relation correlated to the spacing of the belt flights in final clutch tightened position to effect a tensioning of the belt.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the support for the guides is resilient and provides for a variation in the spacing of the guides during the clutching action.

3. A clutch spring for v-belt clutches adapted to control the clutching movement of the belt upon the drive sheave, comprising a resilient body member carrying a pair of spaced belt guide members, disposed to engage the corresponding flights of the belt in opposed relation and extending transversely across the belt, said body member resiliently supporting each guide member at both ends of the guide member and having a central tubular section for pivotally mounting the spring to effect floating action thereof under the influence of the belt.

4. A clutch spring for V-belt clutches adapted to control the clutching movement of the belt upon the drive sheave, comprising a resilient body member carrying a pair of spaced belt guide members, disposed to engage the corresponding flights of the belt in opposed relation and extending transversely across the belt, said body member consisting of a circular section pivotally mounting the same for floating action under the influence of the belt and a separate spring extension from said circular section to each end of each guide member to resiliently support the latter in position.

5. A clutch spring for V-belt clutches adapted resilient spring metal having a coil section extending transversely of the belt and adapted to encircle a pivot pin for supporting the spring and pivotally mounting the same for free floating action, and having resilient arms extending from the coil section to the opposite ends of the guide members for supporting the latter, and the arms for at least one of said guide members being joined by a transverse section of the strip.

6. A clutch spring for V-belt clutches adapted to control the clutching movement of the belt upon the drive sheave, comprising a resilient body member carrying a pair of spaced belt guide members, disposed to engage the corresponding flights of the belt in opposed relation and extending transversely across the belt, said body member consisting of a single wire-like strip of resilient spring metal having a coil section extending transversely of the belt and adapted to encircle a pivot pin for supporting the spring and pivotally mounting the same for free floating action, and having resilient arms extending from the coil section to the opposite ends of the guide members for supporting the latter, the arms for at least one of said guide members being joined by a transverse section of the strip, and at least one of said guide members consisting of a shoe pivotally secured to said strip arm supports therefor and adapted to frictionally engage the belt.

7. A clutch spring for V-belt clutches adapted to control the clutching movement of the belt upon the drive sheave, comprising a resilient body member carrying a pair of spaced belt guide members disposed to engage the corresponding flights of the belt in opposed relation and extending transversely across the belt, said body member resiliently supporting each guide member at both ends of the guide member and having a central tubular section for pivotally mounting the spring to effect floating action thereof under the influence of the belt, the pivotal mounting for said spring being disposed to provide engagement of the belt by said guide members adjacent the drive sheave and within a distance from the central axial plane of the sheave transverse to the belt flights ranging from one to two radius lengths of the sheave. Y

ARLEIGH G. HUPP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 976,115 Bard Nov. 15, 1910 2,186,405 Carter Jan. 9, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 66,985 Sweden Mar. 12, 1929 323,959 Great Britain Jan. 16, 1930' 

